you CAN'T hurt a BABY!!!

[iamvine]

No: HPFGUIDX 109822

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Kim" <WriterKim at c...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "theredshoes86" 
> <ballerinalaura at m...> wrote:
> 
> > She says, "you can't hurt a baby" and then something like 'there 
> was no time to argue the suggestion' follows.  
> > 
> > Has this particular part stuck out to anyone else???  
> 
> Hello!
> 
> This stuck out to me as well, but mostly as a mark of Hermione's 
> character.  I read that line as significant because, caught in the 
> throes of time, if you will, the death eater did not just take on 
> the appearance of a baby, he reverted to the same state of innocence 
> as a child.  He clearly had a baby's brain and was unable to 
> comprehend who he was or what he was doing, and did not possess the 
> capability for evil.  Despite the fact that this was indeed a death 
> eater, Hermione recognized that one does not kill the innocent, a 
> code of honor that Voldemort obviously does not share.

Yes, I don't see any contradiction with Hermione's character at all. 
It seems of a piece with her attitude towards house-elves.

I also think she's expressing one of JKR's principles.  It's as if JKR
sat down and drew a line between "good nastiness" and "bad nastiness",
in terms of what was suitable for the kind of books she wanted to write.

For all the murder, torture, racism, cruelty and insanity in WW, we
have seen no rape, no divorce, no illegitimate births (even Tom Riddle
bears his father's surname).  Even the Cruciatus Curse is a very clean
method of torture.  Someone shouts a word and it causes pain.  The
perpetrator is detached from it - no blood gets on his robes, his
hands stay literally (though not figuratively) clean.  Very different
from some other authors (I'm thinking of a few in the fantasy genre)
with their fondness for graphic detail.  It's okay to hurt your
characters, but dwelling on it is beyond the pale.

If Death Eaters must sublimate their adult urges by turning Muggle
women upside down in mid-air, then there are even more restrictions on
what good characters can do.  You can't hurt an innocent.  You can't
hurt a baby, even if he was an adult and trying to kill you five
minutes ago.  This probably applies to Voldemort too, but not so
strongly.  After all, he did try to AK baby Harry.

Eleanor